Handle including two handgrips and/or a hand alignment mechanism

ABSTRACT

A handle having improved ergonomics and relatively compact low cost design is provided. In particular, the handle may include two hand grip areas which may be integral with one another. The two hand grips may be approximately perpendicular to one another. Further, one or both of the grip areas may include grip alignment mechanisms that improve the ergonomic alignment of a persons hand on the hand grip area of the handle. In another aspect the hand grip(s) may have smooth rounded grasping surfaces to provide comfort when grasped by a hand. The alignment mechanism(s) may be placed at an optimal location on the hand grip(s) area and result in improved control and comfort during use. In addition, one of the alignment mechanisms may serve a dual purpose of hand alignment and as a stop that prevents a person&#39;s hand from slipping off of the grip area during use.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/444,136, filed May 23, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,322,040, the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forthfully herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to a handle. In particular, the inventioninvolves a handle with multiple handgrips and/or hand alignmentmechanism(s).

BACKGROUND

Handles have been known for years and are used in numerous applications.For example, handles may be found on items as diverse as tools,equipment, buckets, vehicles, houses, windows, baskets, barrels, desks,cabinets, etc. Handles provide a convenient and useful mechanism formoving an item which it is part of or attached to, and may include someappearance and ornamental aspects. In addition, in various applicationsergonomics, strength, weight, size, safety, and comfort when in use maybe a consideration or attribute worth incorporating in a handle design.

Hand tools provide one particularly interesting application for handles.In hand tool applications consideration is often given to the size,strength and durability of the handle without much consideration toergonomic, safety, and/or appearance attributes. This has beenparticularly true of manual or non-power hand tools given theirrelatively low retail prices.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a handle that meets as many of theaforementioned handle attributes as possible in a relatively compact lowcost design that may be used in various handle applications andparticularly with manual hand tools such as a handsaw. In particular,the handle may include two hand grip areas which may be integral withone another. The two hand grips may be approximately perpendicular toone another. Further, one or both of the grip areas may include gripalignment mechanisms that improve the ergonomic alignment of a personshand on the hand grip area of the handle. In another aspect the handgrip(s) may have smooth rounded grasping surfaces to provide comfortwhen grasped by a hand. The alignment mechanism(s) may be placed at anoptimal location on the hand grip(s) area and result in improved controland comfort during use. In addition, one of the alignment mechanisms mayserve a dual purpose of hand alignment and as a stop that prevents aperson's hand from slipping off of the grip area during use.

In one embodiment the present invention is the handle for a manuallyoperated, non-electric power, handsaw. The handsaw handle may beattached to one end of a saw blade and a primary grip may be positionedin a pistol type. The handsaw may be, for example, a panel saw, backsaw,compass saw, hack saw, etc. The primary grip may have a generally smoothand rounded shape for comfortably accommodating the fingers and palm ofa hand when gripped. Further, the primary grip may include an alignmentmechanism, for example a raised area or bump on the grip surface. In onevariation, the alignment mechanism included in the primary grip may beplaced on the grip to be located between and index finger and a middlefinger of the users hand when the handle is properly grasped foroperation. The raised area or bump on the grip may be of a size andheight so as to be more or less concealed within the dimensions of atypical user's index finger and middle finger as the user grasps theprimary grip of the handle. For example, the raised area or bump may bean elongated oval that is placed laterally across the front most surfaceand partially along the side surfaces of the hand grip of the handle atabout one fourth of the distance down from the upper most lateralsurface and lower most lateral surface of the handle. At the verticalcenter of the elongated oval it may have its widest portion at the baseof the elongated oval raised area or bump with a width of, for example,approximately one quarter of an inch (¼″) and its highest portion with aheight of approximately three sixteenths of an inch ( 3/16″). In apreferred embodiment the alignment mechanism on the primary hand gripportion may be formed as in integral part of the grip's outer surface(s)contour.

A secondary hand grip area may be included in the handsaw handle. Thesecondary hand grip area may be top surface of the handle approximatelyperpendicular to the primary hand grip area and integral to the primarygrip area so as to be partially over the primary grip area. Thissecondary hand grip may provide hand support for the second hand of auser during operation of the handsaw. The secondary grip area mayinclude an alignment mechanism located at a forward end of the secondarygrip in a direction away from the primary grip (i.e., the end of thesecondary grip located most close to the saw blade). The secondaryalignment mechanism may be, for example, a ridge or raised area ofsufficient height to reduce, minimize or prevent a second hand fromslipping during use. In a preferred embodiment, the ridge or raised areamay be formed approximately perpendicular with the top surface of thehandle and approximately parallel to the primary grip. The ridge orraised area on the secondary grip may have a height at its highest pointof approximately three sixteenth ( 3/16″) to one fourth (¼″) of an inchand a width of approximately three eighths of an inch (⅜″). Further, theridge or raised area may have a back surface (i.e., surface facing awayfrom the saw blade) that is approximately perpendicular to the uppersurface of the secondary grip to offer a firm surface to keep the user'shand from slipping forward onto the saw blade during use. In addition,the secondary grip may have a rounded contour side-to-side to providecomfort and control. As with the alignment mechanism of the primary handgrip portion, in a preferred embodiment the alignment mechanism on thesecondary hand grip portion may be formed as in integral part of thegrip's outer surface(s) contour.

The summary provided above gives a thumb nail sketch of some of thevarious aspects and embodiments of the present invention. The followingdescriptions will provide a better and more detailed understanding ofthe present invention. However, none of the description of the presentinvention provided herein is intended to be limiting, but is provided asexemplary of the various aspects and embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon readingthe following detailed description, in conjunction with the appendeddrawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a handle that depicts an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a cross sectional view of the handle of FIG. 1A taken acrosssection lines 1B-1B, according to one exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 1C is a cross sectional view of the handle of FIG. 1A taken acrosssection lines 1C-1C, according to one exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a handle that depicts another exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a cross sectional view of the handle of FIG. 2A taken acrosssection lines 2B-2B, according to one exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2C is a cross sectional view of the handle of FIG. 2A taken acrosssection lines 2C-2C, according to one exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a handle that depicts a furtherexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a cross sectional view of the handle of FIG. 3A taken acrosssection lines 3B-3B, according to one exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a panel saw that depicts a furtherexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B is an elevational view of the panel saw of FIG. 4A viewed fromthe left side of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C is a top plan view of the panel saw of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view of the panel saw of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of another panel saw that depicts afurther exemplary embodiment of the present invention as viewed from thelower rear looking up;

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the panel saw of FIG. 5A as viewed fromthe upper front looking down rear;

FIG. 5C is a partial elevational view of the panel saw of FIG. 5A viewedfrom the left side of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5D is a partial top plan view of the panel saw of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5E is a partial bottom plan view of the panel saw of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5F is a cross-sectional view of the panel saw of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a back saw that depicts a furtherexemplary embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the lowerrear looking up;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the back saw of FIG. 6A as viewed fromthe upper front looking down rear;

FIG. 6C is a partial elevational view of the back saw of FIG. 6A viewedfrom the left side of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6D is a partial top plan view of the back saw of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6E is a partial bottom plan view of the back saw of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6F is a cross-sectional view of the back saw of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6G is a partial elevational view of the back saw of FIG. 6A with avariation in the grip surface as viewed from the left side of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a compass saw that depicts an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7B is an elevational view of the compass saw of FIG. 7A viewed fromthe left side of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7C is a top plan view of the panel saw of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional view of the panel saw of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8 provides a cross-sectional view indicative of another possibleembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 provides a cross-sectional view indicative of another possibleembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 provides a cross-sectional view indicative of another possibleembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In general, the present invention is directed to a handle design withimproved appearance, cost, comfort and control during operation that mayinclude a compact integral multi-grip arrangement and/or ergonomicalignment for a persons hand(s) on one or more hands. For example, thehand grip(s) area(s) of the handle may include one or more handalignment mechanisms for improved comfort and control when using thehandle to move or control the movement of an object. The alignmentmechanism(s) may be placed at an optimal location on the hand grip(s)area so as to attain maximum control and comfort during use. Further,the handle may have either one grip area or two grip areas, e.g., aprimary grip and a secondary grip, that are integral to one another. Thesecondary hand grip may overlap at least a portion of the primary handgrip. The grip alignment mechanism may be place on either one or both ofthe two grip areas. The grip alignment mechanism may be a raised area,bump, or ridge having at least one of a number of shapes. In oneembodiment, a primary grip area may be formed approximatelyperpendicular with the primary direction or plane of motion of thehandle when in use. The alignment mechanism may be a finger segregationbump that is placed on the hand grip area so as to comfortably fit intothe area between a user's index finger and middle finger when the handgrip is properly grasped by a user for actuation. In other embodimentsthe alignment mechanism or finger segregation bump may be located so asto be between one or more of the other fingers on the user's hand andthere may be more than one such alignment mechanism on the hand griparea (e.g., one finger segregator between the index finger and themiddle finger and one finger segregator between the middle and thirdfinger.) The alignment mechanisms may be located along the grip area ata location that provides improved comfort and control when the handle isproperly grasped. In one preferred embodiment(s) the alignmentmechanism(s) are of a height, e.g., ⅛-¼ inch, from the normal surface ofthe grip area, is less than half the thickness of a user's finger (e.g.,⅜ inch) so as to fit comfortably in the valleys formed between a user'sfingers when a gripping or first action is performed around the griparea and the height.

In addition, the handle may include two hand grip areas, a primary and asecondary hand grip area. In one embodiment, at least the secondary handgrip are may include a hand alignment mechanism. This alignmentmechanism may serve a dual purpose of hand alignment and as a stop thatprevents a person's hand from slipping off of the grip area during use.The alignment mechanism may be a bump or ridge that protrudes from theouter planar surface of the secondary hand grip area. In one embodiment,the grip alignment mechanism may be located near where the handleconnects to an instrument or item to which the handle is attached. Thus,in the case when the secondary hand grip area is integrally formed witha primary hand grip area and approximately perpendicular therewith, thesecondary hand grip alignment mechanism may be located toward the farend of the secondary hand grip, away from the primary hand grip.Although the secondary hand grip alignment mechanism may be relativelyshort in height from the secondary hand grip top surface plane thataccommodates a user's hand, in a preferred embodiment the secondary handgrip alignment mechanism may be a ridge that is of sufficient height andabruptness (e.g., a 90 angle from the top plane of the secondary handgrip area) so as to prevent a user's hand from sliding in at least amotion pushing away from a user.

In the case where the handle may include two hand grip areas, the twohand grips may be integral with one another and may be approximatelyperpendicular to one another while being in the same or approximatelythe same vertical plane. Further, in this case one or both of the twogrip areas may include grip alignment mechanisms that improve theergonomic alignment of a persons hand on the hand grip area of thehandle. In another aspect one or more of the hand grips may have smoothrounded grasping surfaces to provide comfort when grasped by a hand. Inany case, a number of particular detailed embodiments follow that willgive a better appreciation of the invention of the subject application.

Referring now to FIG. 1A, a partial perspective view 100 of an item orobject 105 and an attached handle 109 make up a first detailedembodiment of the invention. The handle 109 is coupled to a device,item, object, or utensil 105 (partially shown) to which movement isdesired. The object may be in some cases nothing more than a mountingbracket for connecting the handle to another, perhaps larger, item. Theobject 105 to be moved may be connected to the handle 109 by, forexample, connection means 102A and 102B, for example screws, bolts,and/or rivets. The handle 109 is in a preferred embodiment a saw handlebut may be any type of a handle intended to be gripped by one or morehuman hands for the purpose of moving an object. The object 105 to whichmovement is desired is in some preferred embodiments a saw blade.Although not shown, the right side may be a mirror image of the leftside of the handle.

The handle 109 may have an approximately vertical front member 112 formounting the handle to an object 105 and an approximately vertical rearmember 114 for being gripped by at least one user's hand. Further, thehandle may have an approximately horizontal upper member 116 and anapproximately horizontal bottom member 118 that connects the frontmember 112 and rear member 114 together. In one variation the frontmember 112 and the rear member 114 may be approximately parallel to oneanother and the upper member 116 and the lower member 118 may beapproximately parallel to one another. Further, in one variation theupper member 116 may be approximately perpendicular to the rear member114. Although the angle between the upper member 116 and the rear member114 may be in a range from, for example, approximately 75 to 110degrees, as would be appropriate for comfortable use of the handle in aparticular application. In one variation the handle 109 comprising thefront vertical member 112, rear vertical member 114, upper horizontalmember 116 and lower horizontal member 118 form approximately aparallelogram and provide an opening or hand insertion hole in itscenter into which a user's hand or hands may be inserted during use.Further, the handle 109 may be made of a single material, for example,wood, metal, plastic, and the various front, rear, upper, and lowermembers may be integrally associated one to the other or coupledtogether with various means. Although in this embodiment the frontmember 112 has a triangular shape, it may have any one of a number ofregular or irregular shapes such as curved outward, curved inward,straight or even be separated into two independent halves not touchingtogether.

In any case, the rear member 114 may include a primary grip area 110 forbeing gripped by a user's first hand during use. The primary grip area110 may have a rounded or cylindrical shaped outer surface that may besomewhat thicker in the middle and thinner at the ends so as to fitcomfortably in the gripping hand of a user. Further, the upper member116 may include a secondary grip area 115 for being gripped by, forexample, a user's second hand during use. The secondary grip area 115may be somewhat flat on its upper surface having mild curvature in boththe lateral directions to comfortably support the palm of a user'ssecond hand.

In one variation, the rear member 114 may include a grip alignmentmechanism 120 that may be a raised area or bump on part of the surfaceof the primary grip area 110. The raised area or bump 120 may be largeston the forward portion of the rear member 114, facing the reward facingsurface of the front member 112, and slowly reduce in size until fadinginto the normal rounded surface toward the rearward portion of the rearmember 114. The grip alignment member 120 may be formed integrally withthe material (e.g., wood, plastic, metal, ceramic, etc.) making up theprimary grip area 110 and rear member 114, or be a separate piece coupleto them, e.g., adhesively attached to the outer surface of the primarygrip area 110.

An illustration of the dimensional aspect of the grip alignmentmechanism 120 are further shown in the cross-section figures takenacross line 1B-1B as shown in FIG. 1B and taken across line 1C-1C asshown in FIG. 1C. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the bump may have a curvedor circular outer surface that encompasses approximately 180 degrees ofthe cross-section of the primary grips circular circumference and gofrom a maximum height dimension (e.g., from 1/16″ to ⅜″ distance fromthe normal surface of the hand grip outer forward surface) at itsmid-section (90 degrees) and a minimum height dimension at its ends (0and 180 degrees). In this case, the bump or area may have a roundedsurface as more clearly illustrated in the cross-section of FIG. 1C astaken across line 1C-1C. Although the bump shown in the presentembodiment shows a relatively small and smooth circular cross-sectionshape, alternative shapes, dimensions and designs for the grip alignmentmechanism are possible, and may include for example, a concave shape, acrescent shape, a triangular shape, a double concave side ramp, anelongated bump that has a height greater than its width, a square, arectangular shape, etc., and may span more or less than 180 degreesaround the outer surface of the (primary hand grip having a single ofmulti-part length. Ideally, the shape and dimension of the alignmentmechanism are large enough to sufficiently assist in placement of auser's hand on the primary hand grip and small enough to fit comfortablyin a user's hand when grasping the primary hand grip. In this embodimentthe hand alignment mechanism is located on the primary hand grip area110 to be at approximately ¼ to ⅓ the total length of the primary handgrip area 110 so as to be located between the index and middle finger ofa user's hand upon gripping the handle 109. Of course, one or moresimilar or different hand alignment mechanisms may be place on theprimary hand grip area to segregate other fingers on the user's hand orto abut the outer surface of the user's index or pinky finger whengripped and properly align the user's hand to a location on the primarygrip area 110 which provides better comfort and control of the handle109 during use.

The handle may have multiple hand grip areas that may be made morecompact by locating them close to one another. For example, at least aportion of the secondary hand grip area 115 may overlap at least aportion of the primary hand grip area 110. As best illustrated in FIGS.1A and 1C, the top end of primary hand grip area 110 may be overlappedby the rear end of secondary hand grip area 115.

The secondary hand grip area 115 may also have one or more handalignment mechanisms 125. The hand alignment mechanism 125 may be, forexample, a bump or ridge located at one end of the secondary hand grip.In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1C, the hand alignmentmechanism 125 is located on the forward end of the secondary hand grip115 approximately over the forward member 112. However, it may belocated in other locations, such as the rear end of the secondary handgrip 115 approximately over the rear member 114, and need not be at thevery end of the secondary hand grip 115. In any case, in operation thehand alignment mechanism may be placed along the secondary hand grip 115at a location so that the outer edge of the user's hand next to thepinky finger (when located at the forward location illustrated in FIGS.1A-1C) or the outer edge of the user's hand next to the index finger(when located in the rearward location) rests against the hand alignmentmechanism's 125 inner edge while the palm of the user's hand is restingon the secondary hand grip area's 115 top surface. As one skilled in theart would appreciate, the location of the hand alignment mechanism isplaced to provide proper location of a user's hand for improved comfortand control when grasping and moving the handle 109, and as a result theobject or item 105 to which the handle 109 is attached. In anotheraspect, the hand alignment mechanism 125 may act as an obstruction tokeep the user's hand from slipping laterally along and/or off thesecondary hand grip 115 during use as the handle 109 and object 105 aremoved laterally.

As illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1C, the hand alignmentmechanism 125 on the secondary hand grip 115 may be a somewhat largerprotrusion, bump, or ridge than the hand alignment mechanism 120 of theprimary hand grip 110. This is useful when the hand alignment mechanismis to help obstruct a user's hand from lateral movement on the handle109 during use. As best understood from FIG. 1C, the alignment mechanismmay have a curved profile with a sloped angle of approximately 35 to 65degrees from the top surface of the secondary hand grip area 115 with aheight of approximately ⅛-⅜ inches and a length of ½-¾ inches. Ofcourse, the more abrupt the angle the hand alignment mechanism's 125outer surface has from the secondary hand grip's 115 top surface, up to90 degrees, the greater will be the ability of the structure to restricta user's hand from lateral slippage during use. On the other hand, thegreater the angle, the less comfortable it may feel on the side of auser's hand. As such, the angle and contour of the surface of thealignment mechanism 125 may be carefully designed to achieve as best aspossible a comfortable yet as much as possible, slip free constructionto minimize as possible grip slipping during use. Further, as can bebest seen from FIG. 1A, the angled surface of the hand alignmentmechanism 125 may have a slight side to side curvature for a morecomfortable fit on the user's hand. As shown in this embodiment, thehand alignment mechanism may also have approximately the same width, forexample ¾ to 1¼ inches, as the handle's upper member 116 and forwardmember 112. Finally, as with the alignment mechanism 120 on the primarygrip area 110, the alignment mechanism 125 may be formed integrally withthe material of the upper member 116 and secondary hand grip area 115 orbe securely affixed thereto using a connecting means, for example,adhesive, screws, etc.

Thus, as illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1C, the handle 109may be made of a single integral material and include two hand gripareas, a first hand grip area 114 and a second hand grip area 115, eachincluding a hand alignment mechanism, first hand alignment mechanism 120and second hand grip alignment mechanism 125, respectively, that areintegrally formed from the single material. However, multiple types ofmaterials may be used in various configurations. For example, the firsthand grip area 110 may be made of, for example, a plastic materialcovered with a rubber outer sheath and the first hand alignmentmechanism 120 could be formed integral with the rubber outer sheath,while the rest of the handle 109, including the second hand grip area115 and second hand alignment mechanism 125 could be integrally formedof a different material, for example, a wood or metal. Alternative, asshow in the following detailed example, the handle 109 may be made oftwo layers, where one of layer overlays at least part of another layerso as to have multi-layered hand grip areas.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A-2C, a second detailed embodiment isillustrated and will now be described. This embodiment provides amultiple layer approach to form the handle 109. However, this detailedembodiment is similar in many aspects with the first detailed embodimentof FIGS. 1A-1C, so the following description will focus primarily on theadditional aspects.

In FIG. 2A a partial perspective view 200 of an item or object 205 andan attached handle 209 make up a second detailed embodiment of theinvention. The handle 209 may be coupled to a device, item, object, orutensil 205 (partially shown) to which movement is desired. The object205 to be moved may be connected to the handle 209 by, for example,connection means 202A and 202B, for example screws and/or rivets.However, in this embodiment the connection means 202A and 202B may alsohold an overlay portion 207 in place over an underlying handle structureor core handle structure 211 for the handle 209. The underlying handlestructure 211 may be made of a one material, for example wood, metal,plastic, ceramic, etc., while the overlay portion 207 may be made ofanother material, for example rubber, plastic, foam, cloth, etc. Thehandle 209 may be, for example, a saw handle but may be any type of ahandle intended to be gripped by one or more human hands for the purposeof moving an object. The object 205 to which movement is desired may be,for example, a saw blade.

In this embodiment the handle 209 may again be made up of four memberportions forming a parallelogram and have an angle between the upperhorizontal member and the rear vertical member in a range from, forexample, approximately 75 to 110 degrees, as would be appropriate forcomfortable use of the handle in a particular application. Theparallelogram may form an opening or hand insertion hole in its centerinto which a user's hand or hands may be inserted during use. The rearvertical member may include a primary grip area 210 for being gripped bya user's first hand during use. As best illustrated in FIG. 2C, theprimary grip area in this case is comprised of an overlay portion 207Aand a core area 211A. The overlay portion 207A may fit snuggly to thecore structure 211A and may in one variation be adhesively attached tothe core structure 211A. The primary grip area 210 may have a rounded orcylindrical shaped outer surface that may be somewhat thicker in themiddle and thinner at the ends so as to fit comfortably in the grippinghand of a user. Further, the upper horizontal member may include asecondary grip area 215 for being gripped by, for example, a user'ssecond hand during use. The secondary grip area 215 may be comprised ofan overlay portion 207B and a core area 211B. The overlay portion 207Bmay fit snuggly to the core structure 211B and may in one variation beadhesively attached to the core structure 211A. The secondary grip area215 may be somewhat flat on its upper surface having mild curvature inboth the lateral directions to comfortably support the palm of a user'ssecond hand. Although not shown, the right side may be a mirror image ofthe left side of the handle.

In one variation, the primary hand grip area 210 may include a gripalignment mechanism 220 that may be a raised area or bump on at leastpart of the surface of the primary grip area 110. In this case the gripalignment mechanism may be formed in two separate portions, one formedon the core area 211A and another portion formed on the overlay portion207A of the handle 209. As take together, the two portions of gripalignment mechanism 220 may be comparable in size, shape, location,appearance, and feel of the single section hand alignment mechanism 120of the first embodiment. As such, the raised area or bump 220 may belargest on the forward portion of the primary hand grip area 210 whichis facing inward to user hand insertion hole and may be formed integralto the core area 211A. As best illustrated in FIG. 2B, the first portionof the grip alignment mechanism 220 may span approximately the entireforward face of the core area 211A. The second portion of the gripalignment mechanism 220 has two sides, 220B and 220C, formed alongeither side of the primary grip area, integral with the overlay portion207A, and slowly reduce in size until fading into the normal roundedside surfaces toward the rearward portion of the overlay portion 207A.Thus, in this embodiment the grip alignment member 220 may be formedintegrally with two different materials, e.g., the inner core 211A maybe, for example, wood while the outer overlay 207A may be, for example,rubber. Although, the materials of the core and overlay may be the same,may be integrally formed, and the alignment mechanism may be a separatepiece couple to them, e.g., adhesively attached to the outer surface ofthe primary grip area 210.

The dimensional aspect of the grip alignment mechanism 220 in the secondembodiment may be the same as those for the grip alignment mechanism 120of the first embodiment, although segregated in three sections 220A,220B, and 220C. These dimensions are best understood from thecross-section diagrams taken across line 2B-2B as shown in FIG. 2B andtaken across line 2C-2C as shown in FIG. 2C. As illustrated in FIG. 2B,the combined bump areas may have a curved or circular outer surface thatencompasses approximately 180 degrees of the cross-section of theprimary grip area's 210 circular circumference and go from a maximumheight dimension e.g., from 1/16″ to ⅜″ distance from the normal surfaceof the hand grip core 211A outer forward surface) at its frontalmid-section 220A and a minimum height tapered dimension at its sides220B and 220C. In this case, the bump or area may have a rounded surfaceas more clearly illustrated in the cross-section of FIG. 2C. Althoughthe bump shown in the present embodiment shows a relatively small andsmooth circular cross-section shape, alternative shapes, dimensions anddesigns for the grip alignment mechanism 220 are possible, and mayinclude for example, a triangular shape, an elongated bump that has aheight greater than its width, a concave shape, a crescent shape, atriangular shape, a double concave side ramp, an elongated bump that hasa height greater than its width, a square, a rectangular shape, etc.,and may span more or less than 180 degrees around the outer surface ofthe primary hand grip area 210. Ideally, the shape and dimension of thealignment mechanism are large enough to sufficiently assist in placementof a user's hand on the primary hand grip area 210 and small enough tofit comfortably in a user's hand when grasping the primary hand griparea 210. In this embodiment the hand alignment mechanism 220 is locatedon the primary hand grip area 210 to be at approximately ¼ to ⅓ thetotal length of the primary hand grip area 210 so as to be locatedbetween the index and middle finger of a user's hand upon gripping thehandle 209. Of course, one or more similar or different hand alignmentmechanisms may be place on the primary hand grip area 210 to segregateother fingers on the user's hand or to abut the outer surface of theuser's index or pinky finger areas when gripped and properly align theuser's hand to a location on the primary grip area 210.

The handle 209 may have multiple hand grip areas that may be made morecompact by locating them close to one another. For example, at least aportion of the secondary hand grip area 215 may overlap at least aportion of the primary hand grip area 210. As best illustrated in FIGS.2A and 2C, the top end of primary hand grip area 210 may be overlappedby the rear end of secondary hand grip area 215.

The secondary hand grip area 215 may also have one or more handalignment mechanisms 225. The hand alignment mechanism 225 may be, forexample, a bump or ridge located at one end of the secondary hand grip215. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C, the hand alignmentmechanism 225 is located on the forward end of the secondary hand grip215 over the forward most section of the handle 209 close to the object205 to which the handle 209 is attached. However, it may be locate inother locations, such as the rear-most end of the secondary hand grip215 above the rear vertical member and the primary hand grip area 210,and need not be at the very end of the secondary hand grip 215. In thisembodiment, the shape and contour of the hand alignment mechanism 225may be integrally form with the outer overlay portion 207B material. Assuch, to formation of the core portion 211 of the handle may besimplified in the core portion area 211B, so as to have a relativelyflat top surface. However, the shape and contour of the hand alignmentmechanism 225 may be formed integral to the core portion 211B or addedthereto and the overlay portion 207B could simply be conformal theretoand take the shape or contour or the underlying hand alignment mechanism225 bump or ridge.

In any case, the hand alignment mechanism 225 may be placed along thesecondary hand grip 215 at a location so that during operation the outeredge of the user's hand next to the pinky finger (when the handalignment mechanism 225 is located at the forward location illustratedin FIGS. 2A-2C) or the outer edge of the user's hand next to the indexfinger (when the hand alignment mechanism 225 is located in the rearwardlocation) rests against the hand alignment mechanism's 225 inner edgewhile the palm of the user's hand is resting on the secondary hand griparea's 215 top surface. As one skilled in the art would appreciate, thelocation of the hand alignment mechanism is placed to provide properlocation of a user's hand for improved comfort and control when graspingand moving the handle 209, and as a result the object or item 205 towhich the handle 209 is attached.

In another aspect, the hand alignment mechanism 225 may act as anobstruction to keep the user's hand from slipping laterally along and/oroff the secondary hand grip 215 during use as the handle 209 and object205 are moved laterally. As illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS.2A-2C, the hand alignment mechanism 225 on the secondary hand grip 215may be a somewhat larger protrusion, bump, or ridge than the handalignment mechanism 220 of the primary hand grip 210. This is usefulwhen the hand alignment mechanism is to help obstruct a user's hand fromlateral movement on the handle 209 during use.

As best understood from FIG. 2C, the alignment mechanism may have acurved profile with a sloped angle of approximately 35 to 65 degreesfrom the top surface of the secondary hand grip area 215 with a heightof approximately ⅛-⅜ inches and a length of ½-¾ inches. Of course, themore abrupt the angle the hand alignment mechanism's 225 outer surfacehas from the secondary hand grip's 215 top surface, up to 90 degrees,the greater will be the ability of the structure to restrict a user'shand from lateral slippage during use. Further, as can be best seen fromFIG. 2A, the angled surface of the hand alignment mechanism 225 may havea slight side to side curvature for a more comfortable fit on the user'shand. As shown in this embodiment, the hand alignment mechanism may alsohave approximately the same width, for example ¾ to 1¼ inches, as thehandle's upper member. Finally, as with the alignment mechanism 220 onthe primary grip area 210, the alignment mechanism 225 may be formedintegrally with either the core portion 211B or overlay portion 207Bmaterial of secondary hand grip area 215, or be securely affixed theretousing a connecting means, for example, adhesive, screws, etc.

Thus, as illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 2A-2C, the handle 109may be made of a two separate pieces, a core portion 211 and an overlayportion 207. The handle 209 may include two hand grip areas, a firsthand grip area 210 and a second hand grip area 215, each including ahand alignment mechanism, first hand alignment mechanism 220 and secondhand grip alignment mechanism 225, respectively. The hand grip alignmentmechanism 220 may be formed in multiple sections, a portion with thecore portion area 211A and a portion with overlay portion area 207A.Further, the grip alignment mechanism 225 may be formed integral withthe outer overlay portion area 207B. However, once again, multiple typesof materials may be used in various configurations for the core portion211 and the overlay portion 207 of the handle 209 and the hand alignmentmechanisms 220 and 225 may be formed independently of various materials.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3B, another embodiment of the invention isprovided. In this embodiment the partial perspective view 300 shows ahandle 309 attached to an object 305 for movement. In this case thehandle 309 is simplified by limiting the number over vertical andhorizontal members to one each. As illustrated, the handle 309 has onehorizontal member 316 coupled to the object 305 with one attachmentmeans, 302, for example, a screw, rivet, bolt, etc. Further, the handle309 may have a single vertical member 314 that is approximatelyperpendicular with horizontal member 316. The vertical member 314 mayinclude a first hand grip area, for example, primary grip area 310. Thehorizontal member 316 may include a second hand grip area, for example,primary grip area 315. The primary hand grip area 310 may include a handalignment mechanism 320. The secondary hand grip area 315 may also havea hand alignment mechanism 325. The handle 309 may be symmetrical aboutthe plane taken along line 3B-3B as with the previous embodiments. Assuch, the right side may be a mirror image of the left side of thehandle.

As illustrated, in this embodiment the hand alignment mechanism 320 maybe similar in shape, contour, location and purpose to the hand alignmentmechanism 120 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. For example, the hand alignmentmechanism may be a raised bump protruding from the forward and sidesurfaces of the primary hand grip area 310 which is greater in height atits center than is ends. As such, the alignment mechanism 320 may fadeinto the normal curved surface of the primary hand grip area 310 alongis sides. As shown, the hand alignment mechanism 320 may have a widththat is approximately the same throughout its length. Further, the handalignment mechanisms 320 may be located at approximately ¼ to ⅓ of thetotal length down the primary hand grip area 310 from the upper member316 and secondary hand grip area 315 and fit comfortably between theindex finger and middle finger of a user's hand when grasping the handle309. The location of the hand alignment mechanism 320 may be varied tobe located between other groups of fingers or to bound the sides of theuser's hand. More than one hand alignment mechanisms may also be usedalong the primary hand grip area 310.

The handle 309 may have multiple hand grip areas that may be made morecompact by locating them close to one another. For example, at least aportion of the secondary hand grip area 315 may overlap at least aportion of the primary hand grip area 310. As illustrated in FIGS. 3Aand 3B, the top end of primary hand grip area 310 may be overlapped bythe rear end of secondary hand grip area 315.

In this embodiment, the hand alignment mechanism 325 associated withsecondary hand grip area 315 may be similar in shape, contour, locationand purpose to the hand alignment mechanism 125 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C.The hand alignment mechanism 325 may be formed at the end of thesecondary hand grip area 315 closest to the object 305 to be moved andmay be a bump or ridge protruding from the upper surface thereof. In onevariation, the hand alignment mechanism 325 may be, for example, in arange of approximately ⅛-⅜ of an inch in height and a range ofapproximately ⅜-1 inch in length, with a width approximately the same asthat of the handle 309.

As illustrated best in FIG. 3B, a cross-sectional view taken across line3B-3B, the handle 309 may be made of a single material, for example,wood, metal, plastic, ceramic, etc., and the hand alignment mechanism320 and hand alignment mechanism 325 may be integral to the handle 309material. Although, in some variations, the handle 309 may be of onematerial and one or more of the hand alignment mechanisms may be made ofa different material and affixed to the handle 309. For example, thehandle 309 may be made of a wood and/or plastic, and the hand alignmentmechanism may be made of rubber or metal.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4D, another embodiment of the presentinvention will be described. The invention in this case is illustratedas a manual hand saw, panel saw 400. FIG. 4A shows a perspective view ofthe panel saw 400 as viewed from above and to the rear of the panel saw400. FIG. 4B is an elevational view of the panel saw 400 of FIG. 4A asviewed from the left side. Although not shown, the right side view maybe a mirror image of the left side view. FIG. 4C is a top plan view ofthe panel saw 400 of FIG. 4A. Finally, FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional viewof the panel saw 400 of FIG. 4C looking inward from the plane formed bycutting the panel saw 400 along line 4D-4D.

The panel saw 400 includes an elongated saw blade 405 connected to ahandle 409 with, for example, screw head rivets 402A and 402B. In thiscase, the handle 409 is comprised of a core portion 411 made of, forexample, wood, and an overlay portion 407 made of, for example, rubber.The overlay portion 407 may be removably attached to the core portion411 by the screw head rivets 402A and 402B. The handle 409 is comprisedof four members; forward vertical, rear vertical, upper horizontalmember, and a lower horizontal member arranged in a parallelogram with acenter opening or hand insertion hole for inserting at least one hand ofa user desiring to use the panel saw 400. The rear member includes afirst hand grip area, primary hand grip 410 and the upper memberincludes a second hand grip area, secondary hand grip 415. The centerline of the primary hand grip area 410 may be at an angle ofapproximately 90 to 100 degrees with the center line of the secondaryhand grip 415, as most clearly shown in FIGS. 4B and 4D. Further, theprimary hand grip 410 has a hand alignment mechanism 420 that includes aforward portion 420A formed integral with core portion 411 (see FIG. 4D)and side portions 420B (one on the left side as shown in FIG. 4B, rightside not shown) integrally formed on the surface overlay portion 407.Finally, as best shown in FIG. 4D, a second hand alignment mechanism 425is formed integrally with the overlay portion 407 at a forward end ofthe secondary hand grip 415.

This embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, andmay have similar size and location for the various components. Forexample, the first hand alignment mechanisms (220 and 420) formed on theprimary hand grip areas (210 and 410) include three portions, a forwardportion and two side portions. However, the shape of the side portionsof the hand alignment mechanism 420 is different having an elongatedoval shape with a rounded front portion and a pointed rear portion.Although the front portion of the side portion 420B protrudes more thanthe rear portion, the rear portion is still somewhat raised from thenormal surface of the handle 409 and does not fade into the handle 409.On the other hand, the second hand alignment mechanism 425 of thepresent embodiment is very similar in shape, size, and location as inthe second embodiment as best illustrated in FIG. 4D. Although, itsshape does have a somewhat flat top section near its center.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A-5E, another embodiment of the presentinvention will be described. The invention in this case is illustratedas a manual hand saw, panel saw 500. FIG. 5A shows a perspective view ofthe panel saw 500 as viewed from above and to the rear of the panel saw500. FIG. 5B shows a perspective view of the panel saw 500 as viewedfrom above and to the front of the panel saw 500. FIG. 5C is a partialelevational view of the panel saw 500 of FIG. 5A as viewed from the leftside. Although not shown, the right side view may be a mirror image ofthe left side view. FIG. 5D is a partial top plan view of the panel saw500 of FIG. 5A. FIG. 5E is a partial bottom plan view of the panel saw500 of FIG. 5A. Finally, FIG. 5F is a cross-sectional view of the panelsaw 500 of FIG. 5D looking inward from the plane formed by cutting thepanel saw 500 along line 5D-5D. This embodiment have a number of uniqueaspects including multiple forward members, a hollow handle, and arubber grip with an integral hand alignment mechanism that may surroundthe entire outer surface of at least one hand grip area.

The panel saw 500 includes an elongated panel saw blade 505 connected toa handle 509 with, for example, screw head rivets 502A and 502B. In thiscase, the handle 509 is comprised of a frame portion 511 made of, forexample, plastic and/or metal, and a hand grip overlay portion 507 madeof, for example, rubber, plastic and/or foam rubber. The overlay portion507 may completely surround at least one of the hand grip areas on thehandle 509. For example, the overlay portion 507 may be made of a rubbermaterial, foam rubber, or plastic that is molded around the entireprimary hand grip area 510. Further, a first hand alignment mechanism520 may be integrally formed with the overlay portion 507 and have theshape of an elongated oval with a maximum height from the surface of theoverlay portion 507 on the forward surface of the primary hand grip area510 and minimum height on the sides of the primary hand grip area 510.In one variation, the contour of hand alignment mechanism 520 may beformed integral to the frame portion 511 and the overlay portion 507 mayform fit to the contour of the frame portion 511.

The handle 509 is comprised of five members; two forward verticalmembers, a rear vertical member, upper horizontal member, and a lowerhorizontal member, arranged in an approximate parallelogram with acenter opening or hand insertion hole for inserting at least one hand ofa user desiring to use the panel saw 500. An open area is formed betweenthe two forward vertical members, first and forward most vertical member511A and second forward member 511B. The first forward member 511Aoperates as a guide and lateral retainer for saw blade 505. The secondforward member 511B operates as a horizontal stop and retainer for oneend of the saw blade 505. The rear vertical member includes a first handgrip area, primary hand grip 510, and the upper horizontal memberincludes a second hand grip area, secondary hand grip 515. The centerline of the primary hand grip area 510 may be at an angle ofapproximately 90 to 100 degrees with the center line of the secondaryhand grip 515, as most clearly shown in FIGS. 5C and 5F. Further, aspreviously noted the primary hand grip 510 has hand alignment mechanism520 integrally formed on the surface of overlay portion 507 as mostclearly shown in FIG. 5E. Finally, as best shown in FIG. 5E, a secondhand alignment mechanism 525 is formed at a forward end of the secondaryhand grip 515 and integral with the frame portion 511.

The handle 509 may be made or formed so as to have interior hollow areasfor reduced weight and cost. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, the uppermember that includes the secondary hand grip 515 has a plurality ofcavities such as forward cavity 522. Other cavities include theopening/cavity 555 in the bottom of the handle 509 and the interiorcavity 550 of the primary hand grip area 510. (See FIGS. 5E and 5F.)

Referring now to FIGS. 6A-6G, another embodiment of the presentinvention will be described. The invention in this case is illustratedas a manual hand saw, back saw 600. FIG. 6A shows a perspective view ofthe back saw 600 as viewed from above and to the rear of the back saw600. FIG. 6B shows a perspective view of the back saw 600 as viewed fromabove and to the front of the back saw 600. FIG. 6C is a partialelevational view of the back saw 600 of FIG. 6A as viewed from the leftside. Although not shown, the right side view may be a mirror image ofthe left side view. FIG. 6D is a partial top plan view of the back saw600 of FIG. 6A. FIG. 6E is a partial bottom plan view of the back saw600 of FIG. 6A. FIG. 6F is a cross-sectional view of the back saw 600 ofFIG. 6D looking inward from the plane formed by cutting the back saw 600along line 6F-6F. Finally, FIG. 6G is a partial elevational view of avariation of the back saw of FIG. 6A as viewed from the left side ofFIG. 6A. This embodiment, like the previous panel saw embodiment, has anumber of unique aspects including multiple forward members and a hollowhandle. Further, this embodiment handle 609 may have some portions witha similar contour to the previous panel saw embodiment. However, in thisembodiment the hand alignment mechanisms are formed integral with thebase handle structure and material and the forward members and lowerlateral member may be varied to properly be used for a back saw.

The back saw 600 includes an elongated back saw blade 605 connected atone end to a handle 609 with, for example, screw head rivets 602A and602B. In this case, the handle 609 may be comprised of a single materialstructure made of, for example, plastic and/or metal. The handle 609 isin this embodiment, as in the last embodiment, comprised of fivemembers; two forward vertical members, a rear vertical member, an upperhorizontal member, and a lower primarily horizontal member, arranged inan approximate parallelogram with a center opening or hand insertionhole for inserting at least one hand of a user desiring to use the panelsaw 600. Although, in this embodiment the lower primarily horizontalmember is curved upward for a good part of its length so as to properlyaccommodate a back saw application. Further, an open area is formedbetween the two forward vertical members, first and forward mostvertical member 611A and second forward member 611B. The first forwardmember 611A operates as a guide and lateral retainer for saw blade 605.The second forward member 611B operates as a horizontal stop andretainer for one end of the saw blade 605. The rear vertical memberincludes a first hand grip area, primary hand grip 610, and the upperhorizontal member includes a second hand grip area, secondary hand grip615. The vertical center line of the primary hand grip area 610 may beat an angle of approximately 90 to 110 degrees with the horizontalcenter line of the secondary hand grip 615, as most clearly shown inFIGS. 6C and 6F.

Further, a first hand alignment mechanism 620 may be integrally formedon the forward surface of the primary hand grip area 610 with a maximumdistance above the normal surface of the primary hand grip area at thecenterline of the forward most surface of the primary hand grip area 620and tapering to a minimum height on the sides of the primary hand griparea 610 in a range of, for example, 90 to 180 degrees about the centerline. As illustrated in this embodiment, hand alignment mechanism mayhave an elongated oval shape with relative sharp corners at its ends.The maximum height of the hand alignment mechanism 620 may be in a rangeof, for example, approximately 1/16 to ⅜ inch above the normal surface.Further, the hand alignment mechanism 620 may have a maximum width atthe primary hand grip area 620 forward most center line in the range of,for example, approximately 3/16 to ⅜ an inch. In one variation, thecontour of hand alignment mechanism 620 may be formed integral to thebase handle structure and material and the handle 609 may be createdusing, for example, a molding process. Although this embodiment showsthe use of an elongated oval shape for the hand alignment mechanism 620,it may have any number of shapes, for example, the shapes discussedabove for the previous embodiments.

A secondary hand grip area 615 is formed on the upper horizontal memberand may include a second hand alignment mechanism 625 formed at aforward end of, and integral with, the base handle 609 structure andmaterial. As in previous embodiment, the second hand alignment mechanism625 may have a number of sizes and shapes having a height above the topsurface of secondary hand grip area 615 of, for example, 3/16 to 5/16 ofan inch. Further, the second hand alignment mechanism 625 may be formedin a ridge or plateau shape and have a back surface that is at an angle,for example, of close to or slightly greater than 90 to 110 percentdegrees relative to the top surface of the secondary hand grip area 615.The face of this angled surface and the forward surface of the handalignment mechanism 625 may be, for example, slightly curved convextoward the rear of the handle 609.

The handle 609 may be made or formed so as to have interior hollow areasfor reduced weight and cost. For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the uppermember that includes the secondary hand grip 615 has a plurality ofcavities such as forward cavity 622. Other cavities include theopening/cavity 655 in the bottom of the handle 609 and the interiorcavity 650 of the primary hand grip area 610. (See FIGS. 5E and 5F.)

Finally, the primary grip area 610 and/or the secondary grip area 615may include a matted or textured surface in the areas where a user'shand grasps the saw handle so as to provide more comfort than that of asmooth single material grip made of, for example, plastic or metal. Theuse of a matted or textured surface softens the feel of the handle tothe user's hand. In one variation show in FIG. 6G, the primary grip area610 is shown with a matted or textured finish 670 from the uppercircumference line 660 to the lower circumference line 665. This can becreated by a molding process using a matted or textured finish on themold surface that forms the primary grip area 610. Alternatively, thematted or textured finish 670 might be created using a mechanicalroughening process after the handle is formed. In any case, the look andfeel of the matted or textured finish 670 may feel more soft to thehuman touch than a smooth surface. In particular, when the saw handle ismade from, for example plastic, the matted or textured finish 670 mayeven appear to an untrained eye and hand to have the look and feel of arubber surface at a fraction of the cost to manufacture.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A-7D, another embodiment of the presentinvention will be described. The invention in this case is illustratedas a manual hand saw, compass saw 700. FIG. 7A shows a perspective viewof the compass saw 700 as viewed from above and to the rear of thecompass saw 700. FIG. 7B is an elevational view of the compass saw 700of FIG. 7A as viewed from the left side. Although not shown, the rightside view may be a mirror image of the left side view. FIG. 7C is a topplan view of the compass saw 700 of FIG. 7A. Finally, FIG. 7D is across-sectional view of the compass saw 700 of FIG. 7C looking inwardfrom the plane formed by cutting the panel saw 700 along line 7D-7D.

The compass saw 700 includes an elongated saw blade 705 connected to ahandle 709 with, for example, screw head rivets 702B and 702C or rivet702B alone. The handle of this embodiment is similar to the handle inthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, but includes a forward verticalmember and multi-layer handle design. In this case, the handle 709 iscomprised of a core portion 711 made of, for example, wood or metal, andan overlay portion 707 made of, for example, rubber, plastic, foamrubber, etc. The overlay portion 707 may be removably attached to thecore portion 711 by the screw head rivets 702A and 702B. The handle 709is comprised of four members; a forward vertical member, rear verticalmember, an upper horizontal member, and a lower horizontal memberarranged in approximately a parallelogram with a center opening or handinsertion hole for inserting at least one hand of a user desiring to usethe compass saw 700. The rear member includes a first hand grip area,primary hand grip 710 and the upper member includes a second hand griparea, secondary hand grip 715. The center line of the primary hand griparea 710 may be at an angle of approximately 90 to 100 degrees with thecenter line of the secondary hand grip 715, as most clearly shown inFIGS. 7B and 7D. Of course this angle is appropriate for the compass sawapplication but the angle may vary to provide the best comfort andcontrol for a particular saw or tool type. Further, the primary handgrip 710 has a hand alignment mechanism 720 that includes a forwardportion 720A formed integral with core portion 711 (see, for example,FIG. 7D) and side portions 720B, one on the left side as shown in FIG.7B and one on the right side (right side not shown), integrally formedon the surface overlay portion 707. Finally, as best shown in FIG. 7D,the secondary hand grip area 715 has a second hand alignment mechanism725 that is formed integrally with the overlay portion 707 at a forwardend of the secondary hand grip 715.

This embodiment is also similar to the multi-layer overlay handleembodiment shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, and may have similar size and locationfor the various components. For example, the first hand alignmentmechanisms (220 and 720) formed on the primary hand grip areas (210 and710) includes three portions, a forward portion and two side portions.However, the shape of the side portions of the hand alignment mechanism720 is different having an elongated oval shape with a rounded frontportion and a pointed rear portion (similar to the previous saw handleembodiment). Although the front portion of the side portion 720Bprotrudes more than the rear portion, the rear portion is still somewhatraised from the normal surface of the handle 709 and does not fade intothe handle 709. On the other hand, the second hand alignment mechanism725 of the present embodiment is very similar in shape, size, andlocation as in the second embodiment as best illustrated in FIG. 7D.Although, its shape does have a somewhat flat top section near itscenter.

As noted previously, the hand alignment mechanisms may have varyingsizes and shapes to provide the proper ergonomics, comfort and controldesired for the handle. FIGS. 8-10 give some examples of other possiblecross-section variations that might be use for the invention. Theembodiment of FIG. 8 is a cross-section view showing a handle 809 designincluding a different shape for a hand alignment mechanism 820 includedin the primary hand grip area 810 and a different shape for a handalignment mechanism 825 included in the secondary hand grip area 815. Inthis case, the hand alignment mechanism 820 is constructed with a muchlarger protrusion having reasonable long horizontal sides extendingapproximately perpendicular to the cylindrical outer surface 860 and amaximum height at the front centerline of the primary hand grip area810. For example, the hand alignment mechanism 820 may have a height inthe range of approximately ⅜ to ½ an inch so as to extend almost thefull width of a user's grasping fingers wrapped around the primary handgrip area when using the saw. In addition, the forward most surface ofthe hand alignment mechanism 820 is in this case a concave curvedsurface. As with the previously described embodiments, this handalignment mechanism 820 may have a shorter height and reduce in heightto almost flat with, or fade into, the side surface of the primary handgrip area at, for example, approximately 90 to 180 degrees about thefront centerline.

The secondary hand grip area 815 also has a more pronounced handalignment mechanism 825. In this embodiment, the height of the handalignment mechanism 825 is, for example, in the range of approximately ½to ¾ of an inch above the top surface of the secondary hand grip area815 and the rear facing slope 870 of the hand alignment mechanism 825 isin the range of, for example, approximately 90 to 110 degrees relativeto the top surface of the secondary hand grip area 815. As such, thishand alignment mechanism 825 design may provide significant resistancefor keeping a user's second hand from sliding off the top surface planeof the secondary hand grip area 815 during operation. Further, the handalignment mechanism 825 of this embodiment has a steep slop on its frontsurface, being almost coincident with the forward most surface of thesaw handle 809.

Referring now to FIG. 9, this embodiment shows a cross-section view of ahandle 909 design including a different shape for a hand alignmentmechanism 920 included in the primary hand grip area 910 and a differentshape for a hand alignment mechanism 925 included in the secondary handgrip area 915. In this case, the hand alignment mechanism 920 isconstructed with a much larger protrusion having reasonably long sidesextending approximately 30 and 150 degrees from horizontal,respectively, to the cylindrical outer surface 960 so as to form a peakwith one another and the peak having a maximum height at the frontcenterline of the primary hand grip area 910. As such, the handalignment mechanism has approximately a triangular cross-sectionalappearance with rounded corners that protrudes from the surface 960. Forexample, the hand alignment mechanism 920 may have a height in the rangeof approximately ⅜ to ½ an inch so as to extend almost the full width ofa user's grasping fingers wrapped around the primary hand grip area whenusing the saw. In addition, the forward most surface of the handalignment mechanism 920 is formed as a slightly rounded pointed surface.As with the previously described embodiments, this hand alignmentmechanism 920 may have a shorter height and reduce in height to almostflat with, or fade into, the side surface of the primary hand grip areaat, for example, approximately 90 to 180 degrees about the frontcenterline.

The secondary hand grip area 915 also has a more pronounced handalignment mechanism 925. In this embodiment, the height of the handalignment mechanism 925 is, for example, in the range of approximately ½to ¾ of an inch above the top surface of the secondary hand grip area915 and the rear facing slope 970 of the hand alignment mechanism 925 isin the range of, for example, approximately 90 to 135 degrees relativeto the top surface plane of the secondary hand grip area 915. As such,this hand alignment mechanism 925 design may provide significantresistance for keeping a user's second hand from sliding off the topsurface of the secondary hand grip area 915 during operation. Further,the hand alignment mechanism 925 of this embodiment has a more slightcurved slop on its front surface. As a result, the hand alignmentmechanism 925 may have roughly a triangular shape protruding from thetop surface of the secondary hand grip area 915.

Referring now to FIG. 10, this embodiment shows a cross-section view ofa handle 1009 design including a different shape for a hand alignmentmechanism 1020 included in the primary hand grip area 1010 and adifferent shape for a hand alignment mechanism 1025 included in thesecondary hand grip area 1015. In this case, the hand alignmentmechanism 1020 is formed to more closely fit the contour of the valleythat will appear between the fingers of a user's gripping hand. Asillustrated, the hand alignment mechanism 1020 has slightly inwardcurved slope facing the upper member and a slightly outward curved slopefacing the lower member of the handle 1009. As such, this is arelatively small protrusion having relatively short height with sidesextending approximately 45 and 135 degrees from horizontal,respectively, to the cylindrical outer surface 1060 so as to form a peakwith one another and the peak having a maximum height at the frontcenterline of the primary hand grip area 1010, such that the handalignment mechanism 1020 has approximately a triangular cross-sectionalappearance with a sharp point projecting from the surface 1060. Forexample, the hand alignment mechanism 1020 may have a height in therange of approximately ⅛ to ⅜ an inch so as to approximately fill thevalley area formed between the fingers of a user when the user'sgrasping fingers are comfortably wrapped around the primary hand griparea 1010 when using the saw. As with the previously describedembodiments, this hand alignment mechanism 1020 may have a shorterheight and reduce in height to almost flat with, or fade into, the sidesurface of the primary hand grip area at, for example, approximately 90to 180 degrees about the front centerline.

The secondary hand grip area 1015 is somewhat similar to that of otherembodiments but has a somewhat abrupt rear face, a gentle slopingforward face and moderate height. The hand alignment mechanism 1025 ofthis embodiment provides comfortable hand alignment and considerableresistance to unwanted horizontal hand movement during handle movement.In this embodiment, the height of the hand alignment mechanism 1025 is,for example, in the range of approximately ⅜ to ½ of an inch above thetop surface of the secondary hand grip area 1015 and the rear facingslope 1070 of the hand alignment mechanism 1025 may be in the range of,for example, approximately 90 to 120 degrees relative to the top surfaceplane of the secondary hand grip area 1015. As such, this hand alignmentmechanism 1025 design may provide significant resistance for keeping auser's second hand from sliding off the top surface of the secondaryhand grip area 1015 during operation. Further, the hand alignmentmechanism 1025 of this embodiment has a moderately slopped front face.As a result, the hand alignment mechanism 1025 may have roughly a lowprofile triangular shape protruding from the top surface of thesecondary hand grip area 1015.

Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be understood that it is not intended to limitthe invention to the preferred embodiments and it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. Thus, the invention is intended to cover alternatives,modifications, and equivalents, which may be included within the spiritand scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For example,although the hand alignment mechanism on the primary hand grip area isshown in the various embodiments as covering only up to 180 degrees ofthe circumference of the primary hand grip, one would appreciate that itmight span more than 180 degrees, encircle, or nearly encircle the fullcircumference of the primary hand grip. In another variation, the handalignment mechanism on the primary hand grip area may segregated intotwo sections each covering for example 30-90 degrees around thecircumference of the primary hand grip. For example, in the two piecegrip embodiments the hand alignment mechanism might be included only onthe overlay material (e.g., rubber) material on the primary hand griparea and possibly only on a portion of the right and/or left side of theprimary hand grip area. Other variations are also possible and would besimilarly covered by the present invention as claimed even though notdescribed as a detailed embodiment herein. As such, the features orfunctions shown and/or described with respect to one or more handle orsaw herein may be included on any of the other saws or handles and beconsidered within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A manually operated saw that performs sawing by aback and forth motion supplied by a user, comprising: a saw blade havingat least one edge with a series of jagged teeth used for sawing; ahandle formed from a single loop of four members, where opposite membersare approximately parallel and form a handle structure with only asingle hand insertion hole, so that a first member of the four membersis connected at one end directly to a second member, the second memberis connected at one end directly to a third member, the third member isconnected at one end directly to a fourth member, the fourth member isconnected at one end directly to the first member, and the saw blade iscoupled to the third member in such a way that a major axis of the sawblade and a major axis of the hand insertion hole are approximatelyperpendicular with each other, the top edge of the saw blade beingadjacent and parallel to the second member and the bottom edge of thesaw blade being adjacent and parallel to the fourth member; a first handgrip area formed from the first member of the four members, where thefirst hand grip area is substantially cylindrical in shape having afirst side and a second side on either side of a forward center line andincludes a first hand alignment means for designating a hand position toproperly align gripping along a lateral length of the first hand griparea; and a second hand grip area formed from the second member of thefour members, where a rear portion of the second hand grip area overlapsa top portion of the first hand grip area so that two hands of a useroverlap one on the other when the handle is simultaneously gripped bythe first hand grip area and the second hand grip area, the second handgrip area having a substantially flat engagement surface with a portionof the surface being wider than the first member and formed on an uppersurface of a lateral length sufficient to support the full width of auser's fingers or palm when gripped and including a second handalignment means for designating a hand position to properly aligngripping along the lateral length of the second hand grip area, thesecond hand alignment means being a raised surface extending above thesubstantially flat engagement surface and located at a forward portion,opposite the rear portion, of the second hand grip area so as to be atleast in part at the end of the second member that is connected to thethird member and formed so as to comfortably fit against a pinky fingerof a user when the second hand grip area is gripped by a user.
 2. Themanually operated saw of claim 1, wherein the raised surface of thesecond hand grip area is a protrusion extending above the substantiallyflat engagement surface and an inflection of more than 90 degrees angledaway from the substantially flat engagement surface.
 3. The manuallyoperated saw of claim 1, wherein the substantially flat engagementsurface has a different and varying width from one end to another end.4. The manually operated saw of claim 1, wherein the top portion of thefirst hand grip area has a diameter that is larger than the diameter ofan opposite end at the bottom of the first hand grip area, so that theindex finger of a user fits better at the top portion of the first handgrip area and the pinky finger of a user hand fits better at theopposite end at the bottom of the first hand grip area.
 5. A manual sawthat performs sawing by a back and forth motion supplied by a user, thesaw comprising: an elongated saw blade with cutting teeth; and a handleincluding: a first member having a first end and a second end; a secondmember having a first end and a second end, the first end of the secondmember connected directly to the first end of the first member so thatthe first member and the second member are approximately perpendicularwith each other; a third member and a fourth member connected to thefirst member and the second member to complete an approximateparallelogram and thereby form a handle frame structure having only asingle hand through hole; a first hand grip area formed from the firstmember with a lateral length sufficient to support the full width of auser's fingers or palm when gripped; a second hand grip area formed fromthe second member with a lateral length sufficient to support the fullwidth of a user's fingers or palm when gripped, the second hand griparea formed at a lateral distance sufficiently close to the first end ofthe second member and the first hand grip area formed at a lateraldistance sufficiently close to the first end of the first member so thatat least a portion of the second hand grip area overlap a portion of thefirst hand grip area whereby two hands of a user overlap one on theother when the handle is gripped simultaneously by the first hand griparea and the second hand grip area and including a second hand alignmentmeans for designating a hand position to properly align gripping alongthe lateral length of the second hand grip area.
 6. The saw of claim 5,wherein the second hand grip area has a substantially flat engagementsurface and the second hand alignment means is a protrusion extendingabove the substantially flat engagement surface.
 7. The saw of claim 6,wherein the second hand alignment means is located at a portion of thesecond hand grip area having a lateral distance sufficiently close tothe second end of the second member so as to be at least in part at theend of the second member that is connected to saw blade.
 8. The saw ofclaim 7, wherein the first hand grip area is substantially cylindricalin shape having a first side and a second side on either side of aforward center line and includes a first hand alignment means fordesignating a hand position to properly align gripping along the laterallength of the first hand grip area, the first hand alignment means beinga single finger segregation bump formed so as to comfortably fit in anarea between two non-thumb fingers of a user when the first hand griparea is gripped by a user.
 9. The saw of claim 8 wherein the first handalignment means is centered on the center line of the first hand griparea and extends from the center line approximately 90 degrees alongboth the first side and the second side of the first hand grip area. 10.The saw of claim 8, wherein the first hand alignment means is located ata top portion of the first hand grip area at a distance of approximately¼ to ⅓ a lateral distance of the first member measured from the end ofthe first member that is connected to the second member.
 11. A sawhandle of a manually actuated saw, comprising: a first member having afirst end and a second end; a second member having a first end and asecond end, the first end of the second member connected directly to thefirst end of the first member so that the first member and the secondmember are approximately perpendicular with each other, and the secondend of the second member connected to an object to be moved, a firsthand grip area formed from the first member; a second hand grip areaformed from the second member with a lateral length sufficient tosupport the full width of a user's fingers or palm when gripped, thesecond hand grip area formed at a lateral distance sufficiently close tothe first end of the second member and the first hand grip area formedat a lateral distance sufficiently close to the first end of the firstmember so that at least a portion of the second hand grip area overlap aportion of the first hand grip area whereby two hands of a user overlapone on the other when the handle is gripped simultaneously by the firsthand grip area and the second hand grip area, wherein the second handgrip area includes a second hand alignment means for designating a handposition to properly align gripping along the lateral length of thesecond hand grip area, the second hand alignment means being aprotrusion extending above the substantially flat engagement surface.12. The handle of claim 11, wherein the first hand grip area issubstantially cylindrical in shape having a first side and a second sideon either side of a forward center line and the second hand grip areahas a substantially flat engagement surface.
 13. The handle of claim 12,wherein the second hand alignment means has an inflection of more than90 degrees angled away from the substantially flat engagement surface.14. The handle of claim 13, wherein the second hand alignment means islocated at a portion of the second hand grip area having a lateraldistance sufficiently close to the second end of the second member so asto be at least in part at the end of the second member that is connectedto the object to be moved.
 15. The handle of claim 14, wherein at leasta top portion of a top surface of the second grip area is wider than thefirst grip area where the first member and the second member areconnected to each other.
 16. The handle of claim 11, wherein the firsthand grip area includes a first hand alignment means for designating ahand position to properly align gripping along the lateral length of thefirst hand grip area, the first hand alignment means being a singlefinger segregation bump formed so as to comfortably fit in an areabetween two non-thumb fingers of a user when the first hand grip area isgripped by a user.
 17. The handle of claim 16, wherein the first handalignment means is centered on the center line of the first hand griparea and extends from the center line approximately 90 degrees alongboth the first side and the second side of the first hand grip area. 18.The handle of claim 16, wherein the first hand alignment means islocated at a top portion of the first hand grip area at a distance ofapproximately ¼ to ⅓ a lateral distance of the first member measuredfrom the end of the first member that is connected to the second member.19. The handle of claim 11, wherein the handle is a manual saw handleand the object to be moved is a saw blade.
 20. The handle of claim 11,further comprising: a third member and a fourth member connected to thefirst member and the second member to complete an approximateparallelogram and thereby form a handle frame structure having only asingle hand insertion hole.